Welcoming New Members

bgsugirlie · #1 09-21-2003, 09:33 PM

What does your chapter do to make the new members feel like they are an important part of the chapter? Our new girls can no longer attend chapter meetings...we used to all go out after and have a sister night...and now we are looking for ways that we can make them feel loved, welcome, and important to our sorority. Any ideas?

veemers · #2 09-21-2003, 09:50 PM

my sorority has a morale chair that plans events throughout the semester. sisters show up, we do some common activity (like watch TV, go to each other's athletic events, eat dinner together, etc.), and just hang out, catch up, and bond.

morale events are always a lot of fun!!

texas*princess · #3 09-21-2003, 10:27 PM

try a sisterhood dinner!

my chapter gets together every wednesday night to eat dinner (either a dinner some sisters made, or we go to a restaurant) and it's great to have that extra time to spend with our Alphas

Optimist Prime · #4 09-21-2003, 10:38 PM

we teach them the rho chi chant

KerriMarie · #5 09-21-2003, 10:41 PM

We have Kore Groups which are made up of about 4 sisters and 2 new members - and each Kore Group had to come up with a group activity to do each week, and then come to chapter with proof of that activity. Each week, the groups got points for creative outings, and at the end the Kore Group with the most points got a prize. It was a nice way for the new girls to get to know the sisters on an individual basis. Fun Kore Group events were Pokey Stix/movie night, a trip to TCBY, mini golf, going to a club or party together...

Betarulz! · #6 09-21-2003, 11:35 PM

We have Kai events to encourage brotherhood.

We actually just had one today when we played kickball between pledge classes.
Things we've done in the past have included: go-karts, lazer tag, bowling, dinner at USA Steak Buffet, and a three on three basketball tournament.

I think a good brother/sisterhood event should not only encourage those types of feelings between the whole house but also within pledge classes...I know I had a great time spending some quality time with my pledge brothers as we so seldom all hang out together now since everyone is so busy and half of us can go to the bars and half can't and such. For our pledges it was just another chance for all them to work together...

CardinalSM · #7 09-22-2003, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by KerriMarie
We have Kore Groups which are made up of about 4 sisters and 2 new members - and each Kore Group had to come up with a group activity to do each week, and then come to chapter with proof of that activity. Each week, the groups got points for creative outings, and at the end the Kore Group with the most points got a prize. It was a nice way for the new girls to get to know the sisters on an individual basis. Fun Kore Group events were Pokey Stix/movie night, a trip to TCBY, mini golf, going to a club or party together...

I really like this idea! Did y'all get new groups every week so that the new girls could meet more older sisters or did you stay with the same groups so they could be close? How did y'all decide who would be in what groups?

texas*princess · #8 09-22-2003, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by KerriMarie
We have Kore Groups which are made up of about 4 sisters and 2 new members - and each Kore Group had to come up with a group activity to do each week, and then come to chapter with proof of that activity. Each week, the groups got points for creative outings, and at the end the Kore Group with the most points got a prize. It was a nice way for the new girls to get to know the sisters on an individual basis. Fun Kore Group events were Pokey Stix/movie night, a trip to TCBY, mini golf, going to a club or party together...

That's awesome! That kind of reminds me of Alpha Delta Pi "Prides" which are groups of sisters and Alpha members and it really gives you a great chance to get to know everyone better -- especially in huge chapters! We change our Prides two or three times a semester so the Alphas can get a chance to hang out with different sisters

We don't have to give proof of our activites though, we just all hang out and do fun stuff like have a movie night, or a slumber party at the house

KerriMarie · #9 09-22-2003, 08:52 PM

Our Kore groups were assigned at the beginning of the semester by the New Member Educator, and we stayed in those Kore groups all semester. She made sure to split up cliques and roomates within the older sisters - so it was good for all of us, we were all getting to know different people. I think it would have been cool to change them around maybe once or twice during the semester, but we didn't do that...

Having to furnish proof actually became one of the most fun part... like asking the guy at TCBY to sign an empty yogurt cup, trying to squeeze into a photo booth at the mall, or stealing a cup with letters on it from the fraternity whose party you went to (we returned it... honest!). One Kore group went to see the Chippendales and had pictures as proof!

strawberrysismd · #10 09-23-2003, 06:35 AM

the entire chapter has made new member welcome notes, kind of like valentines, for all of our incoming new members; we also give them temp. big sisters at different events so that they can get to know sisters and feel comfortable with someone showing them the ropes; the temp bigs change a few times until the new members get their big; all members are also required to attend at least one new member meeting and play an ice breaker game with the girls, as a way for them to get to know everyone, like out of house sisters who might not be around that often

AlethiaSi · #11 09-23-2003, 06:13 PM

we do guardian angels with the new members and give them little gifts and cards of encouragement and if we know they did a good job on something- or if something important is coming up- then we say congrats or happy b-day whatever- make the cards nice and pretty- add some candy in there- its a nice thing to do and to get! also- we do a secret sister program where people were matched up- and we have a mailbox system and then their secret sister gives them- cards- presents- little things- big things- mine gave me a barbie with letters on her shirt- for example- all kinds of fun things- and we always do sister dinners at least once a week- we're a smaller chapter- only about 20 members at the moment- but we're building- and this keeps us closer together to knwo taht we are all their for one another

Kevin · #12 09-23-2003, 10:03 PM

The first school paper that comes out after rush has a congratulations ad in it with all of our rushee's names in it. There are other things we do throughout the semester as well.

axidprincess21 · #13 09-23-2003, 11:33 PM

Every Sunday, after are weekly meetings, us girls go to dinner or hang out at someone's house (we cook dinner their or watch movies). During the week, we sometimes have sisterhood events or help out with the fraternities on campus with their events and stuff. There are more serious ones such as semi-formal, formal, and homecoming. All new sisters are encouraged to attend what ever we plan so they can met every sister and develop some sort of friendship with each one.

We do other things (not aloud to mention) but those are the common things that we do.

P.S. I love the ZBT's, Pikes, and Sigma Alpha Mu!!!

-AXiDprincess21
Alpha Xi Delta
Iota Epsilon Chapter
UNLV